a rum truck

a novel by mike avitabile

About the book

In the spring of 2007, two best friends inadvertently start a popular rock band while driving a stolen delivery truck across the western United States.

Blake Caldaro, a rum-obsessed 22-year-old, finds himself sobering up on the northbound highway out of Puerto Vallarta with more bottles than he could ever drink and the keys to another man’s truck. Joining him for the ride is his carefree and ever-sarcastic friend, Booker. Despite narrowly escaping the country intact, the pair quickly grow restless and decide to take the truck back on the road. Anything - even the risk of getting caught - is better than their dead-end lives in L.A.

In a Denver bar, they become friends with a loner passing through town. The trio jokingly begin to pose as a touring band, happily enjoying the perks of fake stardom as they repeat the hoax each night in a different city and venue. Their band quickly gains popularity on a brand new social media forum – Twitter – and they soon face the unexpected challenges of their increasing fame.

This roving narrative explores the live-for-today mentality of the young and aimless while embracing the binds of friendship and adulthood. A Rum Truck is both deadpan and insightful, and it is the quirky and unapologetic narrator who ultimately steals the spotlight.

In this standout debut, Avitabile's voice is sharp, funny, and undeniable. Introducing himself to the world through this rum-soaked tale of irresponsibility, he offers a witty, honest depiction of the spoils of Internet fame, a love of live music, and a view into a life spent wandering.

A Rum Truck is a novel written by Mike Avitabile.

Like every other fiction writer before him, he lazily drew from his own experiences to create this story. Did he actually steal a truck full of rum in Mexico? Did he really start a fake band in a Denver bar? It depends on who you ask. Besides, who are you? A cop? Why are you asking so many questions?

"This book is not about the truck or where it ends up taking them," says Avitabile. "Sure, that's there. But that's not why I wrote it. I wrote this story so I could write about a relationship between two best friends. It doesn't matter if they're driving a truck or starting a band or just sitting in L.A. with nothing to do. Their friendship is what makes them interesting."

"I think that anyone can relate to their story. If you've ever had a friend and if you've ever thought, 'Hey, they should make a movie about us' - this is that movie. It just happens to be a novel. And it's not about you, because that probably wouldn't be very interesting. It's about me. But, still. This is that movie."